Cannabis wrapper for smoking articles

ABSTRACT

A wrapping material for a smoking article is formed from a web that includes extracted pieces of cannabis combined with web building fibers. The web has a basis weight of from about 20 gsm to about 80 gsm and a permeability of from about 10 Coresta to about 100 Coresta. The wrapping material has a natural cannabis smell and taste. The wrapping material is tobacco and nicotine free and can be used as a carrier for flavorings or aerosol delivery compositions.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/803,849, filed on Feb. 11,2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Cannabis, or the cannabis plant, may refer to both marijuana, which isgenerally used for recreational purposes, and hemp, which is generallyused in industrial applications. Cannabis is a green and/or brownmixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of theplant, and may reference leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers from aCannabis plant, varieties of which include Cannabis sativa or Cannabisindica. Hemp (and particularly the industrial hemp variety), have a verysimilar appearance to marijuana, but unlike the cannabis plant varietyreferred to by marijuana, hemp generally only contains low amounts oftetrahydrocannabinol (THC), where both hemp and marijuana can includehigh amounts of cannabidiol (CBD). For instance, hemp, and particularlyindustrial hemp may contain less than about 0.3% THC where the cannabisvariety referred to by marijuana may contain anywhere from 5% to 30%THC. Cannabis, both marijuana and hemp, is a known pain reliever,however, generally, only hemp, or industrial hemp have been used forfood, paper, clothing, fabrics, and CBD extracts, due to their low THCcontent. Recently, over 25 states in the United States have legalizedthe use of cannabis for at least medical purposes. In addition, Canadahas now legalized the use of cannabis for medical and recreational use.In view of these recent developments, the commercialization of cannabishas dramatically increased.

Cannabis, for instance, is becoming a popular drug for pain relief inlieu of conventional pain relief medicines, such as opioids, as more andmore people in the medical community have begun to view cannabis as alegitimate alternative to the use of opioids for pain relief. Cannabis,for instance, contains two different drugs that can help relieve pain,nausea, and other symptoms. Cannabis contains, for instance,tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC acts on specific receptors in the brainwhich lead to a feeling of euphoria and a relaxed state. The highestconcentrations of THC in cannabis is found in the dried flowers or buds.Cannabis is typically regulated based upon the amount of THC found inthe material. In addition to THC, cannabis also can contain cannabidiol(CBD). Although CBD does interact with pain receptors in the brain, CBDdoes not create the same euphoric feeling caused by THC. CBD, however,exerts pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Cannabinoids, andespecially CBD, do not have the same addictive effect as many opioids.Thus, cannabis is becoming much more acceptable for medical andrecreational use which has led to legalization in many areas.

Inhaling combusted cannabis is the most common, effective and leastexpensive method for incorporating THC and CBD into the body. However,while other methods are gaining in popularity, inhaling combustedcannabis generally uses cannabis wrapped in a wrapping paper in order tocombust and inhale the cannabis by smoking.

It has long been recognized in the industry that wrappers for smokingarticles have a significant influence on the smoking characteristics ofsmoking articles. In this regard, various attempts have been made in theart to alter or modify wrappers for smoking articles in order to achievea wrapper that improves the overall smoking experience of the smokingarticle. Wrapping papers for smoking articles were typically formed frompulp fibers, such as wood or flax fibers, combined with fillerparticles. However, such wrapping papers often produced a “papery” tastethat was regarded as unpleasant and unnatural by the user, and has ataste that may alter the original aroma of cannabis.

Furthermore, pulp fibers are mainly composed of delignified fibers fromhardwood and softwood trees, raising concerns regarding thesustainability of a wrapper mainly formed from pulp fibers due to thelarge reliance upon felled trees. Specifically, between two and threetons of wood are required to manufacture one ton of conventional paper.Since 1950, the worldwide consumption of paper has drasticallyincreased. This increase in consumption has an impact on the forests ofthe planet, 80% of which would have disappeared as a result of humanactivity.

Wrapping homogenized tobacco materials, on the other hand, are typicallymade of processed tobacco by-products in an amount greater than 50%.Therefore, such wrapping materials also usually contain significantamount of nicotine and generate a characteristic tobacco aroma, that maynot be suitable for sensory acceptance of inhaled, combusted cannabis.

Additionally, some homogenized wrapping materials made of cannabismaterials have been produced with a technology generally known as“slurry” but generally have a tensile strength (<1,000 cN/15 mm) that istoo low to form suitable wrapping materials. Such materials aretherefore not suitable for mass production of cannabis smoking articlessuch as booklets (used for hand-rolling), tubes, cones or cigaretteswhich require higher tensile strength.

In view of the above, a need currently exists for a wrapper for asmoking article that has a more neutral or a natural cannabis smelland/or taste, for instance, for use with legal cannabis products orother aerosol releasing articles, and with sufficient tensile strengthto enable mass production. Similarly, a need exists to provide a wrapperfor a smoking article that has adequate burn properties in addition tohaving a pleasant or natural cannabis taste. It would also be beneficialto provide a wrapper for a smoking article that has improved smokingcharacteristics and that is free from nicotine. Furthermore, it would bebeneficial to provide a smoking article that has improved smokingcharacteristics and that may also serve as a carrier for one or moreaerosol delivery compositions. Moreover, it would also be an advantageto provide a wrapper that is at least partially formed from asustainable source. Finally, it would also be an advantage to form awrapper that, while being tobacco and/or nicotine free itself, may serveas a carrier for aerosol delivery compositions.

SUMMARY

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a wrapping materialfor a smoking article that includes a web. The web includes extractedcannabis fibers including cannabis leaves, cannabis stems (also referredto as hurds), cannabis buds, cannabis flowers, residues from cannabisextraction, or mixtures thereof combined with web building fibers. Theweb has a basis weight of from about 20 gsm to about 80 gsm and have apermeability of from about 10 Coresta to about 100 Coresta.

In one embodiment, the web building fibers include delignifiedcellulosic fibers. In a further embodiment, the extracted cannabisfibers include from about 10% to about 100% by weight extracted cannabisleaves, from about 10% to about 100% by weight extracted cannabis budsand/or flowers, and the web includes web building fibers from about 1%by weight to about 70% by weight. Additionally or alternatively, the wetincludes web building fibers in an amount from about 1% to about 50% byweight. In yet a further embodiment, the web is formed from a Cannabisplant material containing less than 0.3% by weight tetrahydrocannabinol.Additionally or alternatively, the extracted cannabis fibers furtherinclude cannabis stalk.

In an additional embodiment, the web includes a filler combined with theextracted cannabis fibers and the web building fibers. Further, in anembodiment, the web contains the filler in an amount from about 5% toabout 40% by weight, such as in an amount from about 8% to about 20% byweight. In one embodiment, the filler comprises calcium carbonateparticles, titanium dioxide particles, kaolin particles, talc particles,barium sulfate particles, bentonite particles, zeolite particles,silicate particles or mixtures thereof. Additionally or alternatively,the filler contained in the wrapper has an average particle size of fromabout 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

In one embodiment, the web has a permeability of from about 30 Corestato about 80 Coresta, such as from about 40 Coresta to about 60 Coresta.In a further embodiment, the web has a basis weight of from about 30 gsmto about 50 gsm. Moreover, in an embodiment, the web contains the webbuilding fibers in an amount sufficient for the web to have a tensilestrength of greater than about 1000 cN/15 mm, such as greater than about1250 cN/15 mm, such as greater than about 1500 cN/15 mm, and less thanabout 4000 cN/15 mm when tested according to ASTM Test D828-97.

In one embodiment, the web according to the present disclosure may becalendared.

In another embodiment, the wrapping material includes an aerosoldelivery composition applied to the web, and the aerosol deliverycomposition includes an aerosol delivery agent. In one embodiment, theaerosol delivery agent includes a drug or a flavorant. In yet anotherembodiment, the aerosol delivery composition comprises an oil or asolid. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the aerosol delivery agentincludes nicotine, a cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol, or cannabidiol.In a further embodiment yet, the aerosol delivery agent includes asugar, a licorice extract, honey, a coffee extract, maple syrup, a teaextract, a plant extract, a botanical extract, a tobacco extract, or afruit extract. In one aspect, the aerosol delivery agent can compriseone or more terpenes. A terpene or a blend of terpenes can be added tothe wrapping material in order to impart a distinct aroma that indicatesa high quality cannabis product. Terpenes that can be added to thewrapping material include pinene, humulene, b-caryophyllene, isopulegol,guaiol, nerylacetate, neomenthylacetate, limonene, menthone,dihydrojasmone, terpinolene, menthol, phellandrene, terpinene,geranylacetate, ocimene, myrcene, 1,4-cineole, 3-carene, linalool,menthofuran, perillyalcohol, pinane, neomenthylaceta, and substantialothers.

Additionally or alternatively, the aerosol delivery composition ispresent on the web in an amount greater than about 1% by weight, such asgreater than about 3% by weight, such as greater than about 5% byweight, such as greater than about 10% by weight, such as greater thanabout 15% by weight, such as greater than about 20% by weight, such asgreater than about 25% by weight, such as greater than about 30% byweight, such as greater than about 35% by weight, such as greater thanabout 40% by weight, and less than about 50% by weight.

In a further embodiment, the web contains water soluble cannabiscomponents in an amount less than about 40% by weight.

Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the web buildingfibers include softwood fibers. In a further embodiment, the webbuilding fibers include flax fibers, hemp fibers, abaca fibers, woodpulp fibers, bamboo fibers, coconut fibers, ramie fibers, jute fibers,or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the web building fibers arepresent in the web in an amount greater than about 5% by weight, such asin an amount greater than about 10% by weight, such as in an amountgreater than about 20% by weight, and in an amount less than about 40%by weight.

In a further embodiment, the wrapping material is tobacco-free.

In yet another embodiment, the web has been treated with a burn controlagent. In a further embodiment, the burn control agent comprises a saltof a carboxylic acid, such as a citrate or a succinate, the burn controlagent being present in the web in an amount of from about 0.3% by weightto about 3% by weight, such as in an amount from about 1% by weight toabout 2% by weight.

Furthermore, in an embodiment, the web has been treated with ahumectant. In an additional embodiment, the humectant includes glycerol,propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof.

Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, the web is treatedwith a gum. In one embodiment, the gum includes guar gum, alginate,cellulose, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, arabicgum, or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the gum is present on theweb in an amount of from about 0.1% by weight to about 2% by weight.

In a further embodiment, the wrapping material includes a plurality ofdiscrete reduced ignition areas spaced along a first direction of thewrapping material, the reduced ignition areas having a diffusivity ofless than about 0.5 cm/s at 23° C. In one embodiment, the plurality ofreduced ignition areas are formed by applying a reduced ignitioncomposition to the web.

In general, the present disclosure is also generally directed to awrapping material according to the present disclosure incorporated intoa smoking article. When the smoking article is tested according to ASTMTest E2187-09, at least 75% of the smoking articles self-extinguish.

Generally speaking, the present disclosure is also directed to a smokingarticle that includes a smokeable rod surrounded by the wrappingmaterial of the present disclosure.

Other features and aspects of the present disclosure are discussed ingreater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure is set forthmore particularly in the remainder of the specification, includingreference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a smoking articleincorporating the wrapper of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the smoking article illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A illustrates an article according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3B illustrates a single piece of the article of FIG. 3 a.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features orelements of the present invention.

Definitions

As used herein, “cannabis” may refer to any variety of the Cannabisplant, such as Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, for instance. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure may refer to leaves, stems, seedsand flowers or any other part of the Cannabis plant, as cannabis.Nonetheless, cannabis, as referred to herein, includes cannabis thatcontains average or high levels of THC and/or CBD (usually known asmarijuana), hemp, which may contain low, or very low, levels of THC,industrial hemp, which may refer to a cannabis plant that contains lessthan 0.3% THC, or combinations thereof.

As used herein, a “reconstituted plant material” refers to a materialformed by a process in which a plant feed stock, such as raw plantmaterial from a cannabis plant, is extracted with a solvent to form anextract of solubles, such as water solubles, and an extracted insolubleportion or residue comprising fibrous material. The extracted andinsoluble fibrous material is then formed into a sheet or web throughany suitable process and the extract may either be discarded orreapplied to the formed sheet. The extract can be fed through variousprocesses for concentrating the extract and optionally removing oradding various components prior to being recombined with the fibrousmaterial. In the present disclosure, the reconstituted plant material isformed from extracted cannabis fibers, optionally combined with webbuilding fibers, such as cellulose fibers. The extract of solublesobtained from the cannabis fibers is optionally reapplied to the sheet.

As used herein, an “aerosol generating material” is meant to includeboth a combustible material that undergoes combustion in a smokingarticle and to an aerosol-forming material that is heated but notcombusted to form an inhalable aerosol. Combustible smoking articles caninclude cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars, pre-rolled cones etc. In acigarette, the aerosol generating material is generally surrounded by awrapping material to form a smokable rod, but may also be included inthe wrapping material itself. Aerosol generating devices for generatingan aerosol include, for instance, devices in which an aerosol isgenerated by electrical heating or by the transfer of heat from acombustible fuel element or heat source to heat but not burn the aerosolgenerating material, which releases volatile compounds. As the releasedcompounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol that is inhaled by theconsumer.

As used herein, “extracted cannabis fibers” refers to cannabis fibersthat have been subjected to an extraction process in which the cannabishas been contacted with an aqueous solution to remove greater than 75%of the water soluble components contained in the cannabis. Theextraction process is different from a delignification process and froma bleaching treatment.

As used herein, “extracted byproducts” refers to cannabis biomass thathas been subjected to an extraction process for removing selectedcomponents, such as cannabinoids, without removing a substantial amountof water soluble components. The extracted byproducts can be referred toas biomass resulting from an extraction process where the extractant isa solvent, such as ethanol, a supercritical fluid such as carbondioxide, a lipid such as a vegetable oil, or the like. Extractedbyproducts, in accordance with the present disclosure, can be subjectedto a second extraction process for removing water soluble componentsduring the process of making a reconstituted cannabis material.Extracted byproducts well suited for use in the present disclosureinclude those that contain water soluble components in an amount greaterthan about 8% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 12% byweight, such as in an amount greater than about 18% by weight, such asin an amount greater than about 24% by weight.

As used herein, “delignified” cellulosic fibers refers to fibers thathave been subjected to a pulping or delignification process by which thecellulose fibers are separated from the plant material through chemicalmeans, mechanical means, or through a combination of chemical andmechanical means.

As used herein, the term “refine” is used to mean that the plantmaterial is subjected to a mechanical treatment that modifies the fibersof the material so that they are better suited to forming a fibroussheet or substrate. Refining can be accomplished using a conical refineror a disks refiner or a Valley beater. The mechanical process exerts anabrasive and bruising action on the plant material such that the plantmaterial is defibrillated. Refining is a different process thandelignification and pulping.

As used herein, the “amount of water soluble extracts” present in asubstrate or reconstituted plant material or in an aerosol-generatingmaterial is determined by taking 5 grams of a sample in boilingdistilled water for 10 minutes to obtain an extract containing watersoluble components. The weight of dry matter of the extract that issoluble in the solvent is calculated by the difference between the dryweight of the sample and the dry weight of the sample after extraction.The difference in dry weight is then used to determine the percentage ofwater soluble extracts in the sample.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, andis not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the presentdisclosure.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a wrapping material fora smoking article that is formed from a web that includes cannabis and,optionally, web building fibers. In such a manner, the web for thewrapping material according to the present disclosure may be at leastpartially or even wholly formed from a sustainable material.Furthermore, it was unexpectedly found that a web formed from extractedcannabis has a pleasant natural cannabis taste and serves as anexcellent carrier, even when combined with web building fibers that mayinclude pulp fibers. Moreover, it was found that a wrapping materialthat is at least partially formed from cannabis unexpectedly had goodburn characteristics in addition to a pleasant natural cannabis tasteand good carrier properties.

Because the reconstituted cannabis material has a natural cannabis tastewhen smoked and is nicotine free, such wrapping material can be used toproduce a nicotine free smoking article that complements and/or mimicsthe smell and taste of cannabis. For instance, a wrapping materialformed from cannabis may add to, or enhance, the taste and/or smell of asmoking article containing cannabis, or may mimic the taste and/or smellof cannabis when it is not desired to consume cannabis, but the taste isstill desired. Therefore, a wrapping material according to the presentdisclosure may provide a replacement for a paper wrapper for use withcannabis or cannabis smokeable articles, or when it is desired to mimicthe taste and/or smell of a cannabis or cannabis smokeable article, andmay also provide a better sensorial experience.

In addition, the wrapping material is well suited to being combined withother fibers with aerosol delivery functionality and/or topicaladditives, which may be jointly referred to as aerosol delivery agentsand will be discussed in greater detail below. For instance, due to itsgood carrier properties, the wrapping material may also be combined withan aerosol delivery agent or have an aerosol delivery agent appliedthereto. When combined with a tobacco or cannabis material, the wrappingmaterial of the present disclosure, due to its natural smell and tastecharacteristics, can better preserve the taste of the aerosol deliverycompositions and, in fact, can enhance the smoking experience bydiluting and decreasing irritants.

However, as will be discussed in greater detail below, a further benefitof a wrapping material according to the present disclosure is that, whenused, an aerosol delivery composition can be applied after formation ofthe wrapper in a metered amount. Therefore, the characteristics of theaerosol delivery composition (e.g. nicotine, THC, or CBD) are not merelyan inherent property of the material used to form the wrapper, andinstead, the amount of the aerosol delivery composition may be carefullycontrolled and metered when applied to the wrapping material. Therefore,the amount of the aerosol delivery composition on the wrapping materialmay be measured, known, and evenly distributed, as compared to naturalforms of the aerosol delivery composition.

As described above, the wrapping material of the present disclosure isgenerally formed from extracted cannabis, optionally combined with webbuilding fibers. Cannabis materials for use in the present disclosureare obtained from a Cannabis plant, and thus, may be referred to ascannabis. Cannabis materials for use in the present disclosure mayinclude all parts of the plant such as hurds, fibers, buds, flowers,leaves, seeds and optionally stalk components, or may consist inresidues from cannabis extraction. Furthermore, as will be discussedherein, some or all of the THC, CBD, or other soluble components may beextracted from the cannabis during the formation of the reconstitutedcannabis material, and the soluble portion that contains for example,THC or CBD may, optionally, be re-applied to the web. Thus, the wrappingmaterial of the present disclosure in one embodiment, is formed fromcannabis stalks or hurds, fibers, leaves, seeds, flowers and buds, aswell as residues from the cannabis extraction, and thus may generallyinclude all parts of the raw plant material obtained from cannabis.

In one embodiment, the cannabis components are obtained from cannabisplants that have a relatively low THC content. For instance, the amountof THC in the cannabis components can be less than about 1% by weightTHC, such as less than about 0.3% by weight THC, such as less than about0.2% by weight THC, such as less than about 0.1% by weight THC. Usingcannabis components from low THC plants can offer various advantages andbenefits. Producing a reconstituted cannabis material low in THC, forinstance, allows for better control over THC deliveries when the THC istopically applied to the material. In addition, a reconstituted materialcan be produced that contains no detectable amounts of THC so that thematerial can deliver other active agents, such as CBD, flavorings,nicotine, or the like. It should be understood, however, that in otherembodiments the reconstituted cannabis material can be made from THCcontaining plants, such as from the species Cannabis indica.

Additionally or alternatively, the reconstituted cannabis material ofthe present disclosure can be produced from various parts of thecannabis plant, including the stalks or hurds, fibers, leaves, seeds,flowers and buds. These different parts of the plant can be combined indifferent ratios and amounts depending upon the particular applicationand the desired result. Although the reconstituted cannabis material canbe made exclusively from cannabis leaves and stems or can be madeexclusively from cannabis buds and flowers, in one embodiment, thereconstituted material is made from a mixture of leaves and hurdscombined with buds and/or flowers. For example, in one embodiment, theweight ratio between the leaves and hurds and the buds and/or flowers isfrom about 1:8 to about 8:1, such as from about 1:5 to about 5:1, suchas from about 1:4 to about 4:1, such as from about 2:1 to about 1:2. Inone embodiment, the ratio can be about 1:1.

In one embodiment, the reconstituted cannabis material may containcannabis leaves and hurds in an amount greater than about 10% by weight,such as in an amount greater than about 20% by weight, such as in anamount greater than about 30% by weight, and generally in an amount ofup to 100% by weight. Similarly, the reconstituted cannabis material maycontain buds and/or flowers in an amount greater than about 10% byweight, such as in an amount greater than about 20% by weight, such asin an amount greater than about 30% by weight, such as in an amountgreater than about 40% by weight, such as in an amount greater thanabout 50% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 60% byweight, and generally in an amount of up to 100% by weight.

In one aspect, at least a portion of the cannabis components collectedfor producing the reconstituted cannabis material are cannabis extractedbyproducts. Cannabis extracted byproducts include cannabis biomass thathas already been subjected to a first extraction process for removingdesired components from the plant, but without removing substantialamounts of the water soluble components. For example, the cannabisextracted byproducts can be the biomass that remains after one or morecannabinoids have been extracted from the cannabis plant material, suchas THC and/or CBD. These types of extraction processes can use differentsolvents and supercritical fluids. For example, in one embodiment, theextracted byproducts result from a cannabis extraction process in whichthe cannabis material is ground and combined with a solvent. Thesolvent, for instance, can be an alcohol, such as ethanol, an organicester, a petroleum derived hydrocarbon such as toluene ortrimethylpentane, or a lipid, such as a vegetable oil. Examples ofvegetable oils include safflower oil, coconut oil, and the like. In analternative embodiment, during the extraction process, the cannabisplant material can be contacted with a supercritical fluid, such ascarbon dioxide. In general, the extraction process includes grinding orcutting the plant material to a desired size and then contacting thematerial with an extractant, such as a solvent or a supercritical fluid.The material can be heated during contact with the solvent. Whencontacted with a supercritical fluid, for instance, the temperature canbe from about 31° C. to about 80° C. and the pressure can be from about75 bar to about 500 bar.

Using extracted byproducts as a portion of the cannabis components canprovide various advantages. For instance, the cannabis extractedbyproducts may produce a more mild aerosol and may be in a form that iseasier to handle than the virgin plant materials. In order to produce areconstituted cannabis material, the cannabis extracted byproducts canundergo a second extraction process for removing the water solublecomponents. The cannabis extracted byproducts, for instance, may containwater soluble components in an amount greater than about 8% by weight,such as in an amount greater than about 12% by weight, such as in anamount greater than about 18% by weight, such as in an amount greaterthan about 24% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 28% byweight, and generally in an amount less than about 60% by weight, suchas in an amount less than about 50% by weight.

Particularly, the present disclosure has found that, by selectivelyforming a web according to the presently disclosure, fibers or pieces ofplant material obtained from cannabis may be combined with cellulosicweb building fibers to form a wrapping material that displays a good,natural cannabis taste, as well as good tensile strength and burnproperties.

In one embodiment, the cannabis is optionally sized or ground and thensubjected to an extraction process for removing water solublecomponents. The extracted cannabis can then be optionally combined withweb building fibers and formed into a substrate, such as a reconstitutedsheet or web. The substrate can optionally be treated with the extractobtained from the cannabis. Alternatively, the extract obtained from thecannabis can be discarded and not recombined with the water insolublefibers and other materials. The reconstituted material is then dried andformed into a web and/or a wrapping material. The web and/or a wrappingmaterial can then optionally be combined with various other components.For instance, the wrapping material can be treated with various aerosoldelivery agents and/or combined, either during or after the initialrefining process, with various other aerosol delivery compounds, such astobacco materials or other herbal fillers, such that the wrappingmaterial itself is formed from a combination of cannabis fibers and atleast one additional aerosol delivery compound. Alternatively, thewrapping material may merely be used to surround or encompass aerosoldelivery agents and compounds, or may, in one embodiment, be bothtreated with an aerosol delivery compound and surround an aerosoldelivery compound.

In forming the wrapping material of the present disclosure, the cannabismaterials (e.g. stalks or hurds, fibers, leaves, seeds, flowers andbuds) are first collected and optionally reduced in size. For example,in one embodiment, the cannabis materials can be subjected to a grindingoperation, milling operation or beating operation that can reduce thesize of the cannabis materials and/or reduce the cannabis intoindividual fibers. For example, in one embodiment, the cannabismaterials can be fed to a hammer mill that beats the cannabis materialsagainst a screen for producing a fibrous material.

Nonetheless, the cannabis may then be subjected to a gentle extractionprocess for removing water soluble components. Specifically, thecompounds naturally present in cannabis that are soluble in the solventmay give rise to problems, such as bonding to the drying cylinders,difficulties in draining or problems of fermentation in the tanks. Inone embodiment, the extraction process may simply include placing thecannabis materials in water and allowing the water soluble portions tobe extracted into the water. In an alternative embodiment, varioussolvents that are water-miscible, such as alcohols (e.g., ethanol),and/or suitable oils and fats, can be combined with water to form anaqueous solvent. For example, suitable oils and fats may be those inwhich THC and/or CBD are soluble, in order to extract THC and/or CBDfrom the plant fibers during the extraction phase. The water content ofthe aqueous solvent can, in some instances, be greater than 50 wt. % ofthe solvent, and particularly greater than 90 wt. % of the solvent.Deionized water, distilled water or tap water may be employed. Theamount of the solvent in the suspension can vary widely, but isgenerally added in an amount from about 50 wt. % to about 99 wt. %, insome embodiments from about 60 wt. % to about 95 wt. %, and in someembodiments, from about 75 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of the suspension.However, the amount of solvent can vary with the nature of the solvent,the temperature at which the extraction is to be carried out. In oneembodiment, the solvent may be heated. Of course, while a variety ofsolutions may be used, the extraction solution should also be selectedso as to be effective for removing soluble compounds while leaving thecannabis fibers unharmed. In one embodiment, for instance, theextraction solution may be a hot aqueous solution that may includewater.

The cannabis materials in solvent may optionally be agitated bystirring, shaking or otherwise mixing the mixture in order to increasethe rate of solubilization. Typically, the process is carried out forabout 10 minutes to about 6 hours. Process temperatures may range fromabout 10° C. to about 100° C., such as from about 40° C. to about 80° C.

After the cannabis materials are soaked and optionally agitated, theinsoluble portion of the cannabis materials can be mechanicallyseparated from the soluble portion of the cannabis materials using apress or a centrifuge or otherwise separated from the solvent which nowcontains the soluble portion of the cannabis. Once the soluble fractionis separated from the insoluble fraction, the soluble fraction can bediscarded or further processed, such as by being concentrated. Thesoluble fraction can be concentrated using any known type ofconcentrator, such as a vacuum evaporator. In one embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the soluble fraction can be highly concentrated. Inone embodiment, for instance, the soluble fraction can be evaporated soas to have a final brix or dry matter of from about 10% to about 60%,such as from about 20% to about 40%, such as from about 25% to about35%.

While the extraction process removes soluble compounds in order tofacilitate the processing of the wrapping material, the extractionprocess can also be used to remove other undesired compounds. Forinstance, through the extraction process, pesticides and other compoundsmay be removed from the cannabis in the soluble portion, and then may befurther eliminated from the soluble portion prior to the optionalconcentration of the soluble portion. While this process is discussed inregards to pesticides, it should be understood that the extractionprocess may be used to remove undesired compounds from other plants usedin the web building fibers, such as tobacco, nicotine, caffeine, and anyother undesirable compound. Further, the present disclosure alsocontemplates that any undesirable compounds such as caffeine or nicotinemay be minimized or reduced instead of eliminated, by purifying orconcentrating a soluble portion as discussed herein.

The resulting concentrated soluble fraction may be discarded, used in aseparate process, or can be later applied onto the wrapping material ofthe present disclosure as will be described in greater detail below.

The resulting water insoluble cannabis fraction is generally in anunrefined state. The cannabis material can comprise particles andfibers. In one embodiment, the insoluble and extracted cannabis fractioncan be subjected to a refining process. For instance, the extractedcannabis material can be fed through any suitable refining device, suchas a conical refiner or a disks refiner. Other refining devices that maybe used include a beater, such as a Valley beater. Refining can occurwhile the cannabis materials are moist or after being combined withwater. For instance, in one embodiment, refining can occur while thecannabis material is at a consistency of less than about 10%, such asless than about 5%, such as less than about 3%.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the extracted cannabismaterial is optionally combined with web building fibers in forming afiber substrate. For example, the extracted cannabis can be combinedwith water or an aqueous solution to form a slurry. The web buildingfibers, such as delignified cellulosic fibers, can be combined with thecannabis material in forming the slurry. The fiber slurry is then usedto form a continuous reconstituted sheet or web. For example, in oneembodiment, the fiber slurry is fed to a papermaking process that caninclude a forming wire, gravity drain, suction drain, a felt press, anda dryer, such as a Yankee dryer, a drum dryer, or the like. Similarly,in one embodiment, the fiber slurry is formed into a continuous sheet ona Fourdrinier table.

In one embodiment, the fiber slurry is laid onto a porous formingsurface and formed into a sheet. Excess water is removed by a gravitydrain and/or a suction drain. In addition, various presses can be usedto facilitate water removal. The formed sheet can be dried and furthertreated.

Optionally, the wrapping material that is produced can also be treatedwith the soluble cannabis portion, such as a concentrated solublecannabis portion that was separated from the insoluble fraction. Thesoluble portion can be applied to the web using various applicationmethods, such as sizing, coating etc. The amount of water solublecannabis extracts applied to the reconstituted material can depend uponvarious factors and the anticipated end use application. For example,the soluble cannabis extracts can be applied to the wrapping material inan amount insufficient to adversely interfere with the inherent taste ofthe underlying material. For instance, in one embodiment, the watersoluble cannabis extracts are applied to the reconstituted material suchthat the reconstituted material contains water soluble cannabis extractsin an amount up to about 10% by weight, such as in an amount less thanabout 8% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 6% by weight,such as in an amount less than about 4% by weight, such as in an amountless than about 2% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 1% byweight and generally in an amount greater than about 0.5% by weight.However, in another embodiment of the Invention, the water solublecannabis extracts can be re-applied in the reconstituted material in anamount greater than 10%, such as 15% or 20% or 25%, or up to 35% inorder to provide a distinct cannabis aroma to the final smoking article.

While, thus far, the formation of the wrapping material has beendescribed by first extracting and refining the cannabis materials andthen mixing with the refined pulp fibers, it should be understood thatone or more types of plant fibers, as will be discussed in greaterdetail below, may be mixed with the cannabis materials during theextraction stage, such that the cannabis and the optional web buildingfibers undergo extraction and refining at the same time. Of course, asdiscussed above, the cannabis may be extracted separately, and thenmixed with the web building fibers during the pulping process.

Notwithstanding the method used to form the web or sheet, and while theweb building fibers may be fibers from any plant that has one or moreproperties desired to be included in the web or sheet, in oneembodiment, the web building fibers may be fibers of a plant which haveundergone extraction in a solvent, for instance, to yield a pulp. Whilethe web building fibers may be obtained from any type of plant, in oneembodiment, the web building fibers are delignified cellulosic fibers.For instance, the web building fibers may preferably include hemp pulpfibers. The hemp pulp fibers can have an average fiber length ofgenerally greater than about 0.5 mm, such as greater than about 1 mm,such as greater than about 1.5 mm, such as greater than about 1.8 mm,and generally less than about 4 mm, such as less than about 3 mm, suchas less than about 2.5 mm, such as less than about 2.35 mm.

Other cellulosic fibers that may be used include wood pulp fibers suchas softwood fibers or hardwood fibers, flax fibers, abaca fibers, bamboofibers, coconut fibers, cotton fibers, kapok fibers, ramie fibers, jutefibers, or mixtures thereof. In one particular embodiment, thereconstituted plant material contains hemp pulp fibers alone or incombination with other fibers such as softwood fibers or flax fibers, orthe like.

Regardless of the fibers selected to form the web building fibers, theweb or wrapping material may include the cannabis materials in an amountof from about 1 to about 100% by weight, such as from about 20% to about95%, such as from about 30% to about 90%, such as from about 40% toabout 80% cannabis fibers by weight based upon the weight of the web orwrapping material, or any ranges therebetween.

Moreover, the web or wrapping material may include the web buildingfibers in an amount of from about 0% to about 99% by weight, such asfrom about 5% to about 80%, such as from about 10% to about 50%, such asfrom about 15% to about 30% web building fibers by weight based upon theweight of the wrapping material or web, or any ranges therebetween.

In one embodiment, the web building fibers incorporated into thereconstituted plant material include a combination of longer fibers andshorter fibers. The longer fibers can generally have a length of greaterthan about 2 mm, while the shorter fibers can generally have a length ofless than about 1.5 mm. The longer fibers can be used to improvestrength and integrity, while the shorter fibers can better retain thecannabis fibers and other components within the fiber substrate. In oneembodiment, for instance, the short fibers may be present in thereconstituted plant material in an amount greater than about 5% byweight, such as in an amount greater than about 10% by weight, andgenerally in an amount less than about 20% by weight. The longer fibers,on the other hand, can be present in the reconstituted web material inan amount greater than about 10% by weight, such as in an amount greaterthan about 20% by weight, and generally in an amount less than about 50%by weight, such as in an amount less than about 40% by weight. In oneembodiment, the shorter fibers comprise hardwood fibers, while thelonger fibers comprise hemp pulp fibers, flax fibers or softwood fibers.

Particularly, the present inventors have found that, by forming awrapping material according to the present disclosure, a web or sheetmay be formed using cannabis that has good strength, suitablesmoothness, basis weight, and adjustable permeability. Thus, a wrappingmaterial according to the present disclosure may be able to withstand apapermaking process as well as the mechanical stress of mass productionof smoking articles, and may also have good sensory characteristics andburn properties. Furthermore, as will be discussed in greater detailbelow, it was also found that the wrapping material functions well as acarrier for other taste or aerosol delivery compositions.

For instance, wrapping materials made in accordance with the presentdisclosure have excellent mechanical characteristics and have a verydesirable and aesthetic appearance. In general, the wrapping materialhas a basis weight of greater than about 20 gsm, such as greater thanabout 30 gsm, such as greater than about 40 gsm, such as greater thanabout 50 gsm, such as greater than about 60, gsm, such as greater thanabout 70 gsm, such as greater than about 80 gsm, such as greater thanabout 85 gsm. The basis weight of the wrapping material is generallyless than about 100 gsm, such as less than about 90 gsm, such as lessthan about 80 gsm, such as less than about 70 gsm, such as less thanabout 60 gsm, such as less than about 50 gsm, or any rangestherebetween. Within the above basis weights, the wrapping material isvery strong and can exhibit a tensile strength of greater than about1,000 cN/15 mm, such as greater than about 1,500 cN/15 mm and generallyless than about 3,000 cN/15 mm. Tensile strength can be measured usingASTM Test D828-97.

The wrapping material according to the present disclosure may also havea permeability that facilitates suitable smoking properties, such asgood mainstream smoke control or good smoking comfort. For instance, thewrapping material according to the present disclosure may have apermeability measured in Coresta units of from about 0 Coresta to about100 Coresta, such as from about 20 Coresta to about 90 Coresta, such asfrom about 30 Coresta to about 80 Coresta, such as from about 35 Corestato about 60 Coresta, or any ranges therebetween.

While the wrapping material according to the present disclosure maynaturally or inherently have a desired permeability, in one embodiment,it may be desirable to also perforate the wrapping material afterformation. Perforation may be performed as known in the art, and thenumber and size of the perforations may be selected as needed for thedesired application.

In addition to the above physical properties, the wrapping material madein accordance with the present disclosure can exhibit a distinct naturalappearance with natural speckling and/or coloration from the one or morecannabis fibers or particles. Optionally, the wrapping material may beformulated with pigments (natural or synthetic) to adjust its finalcoloration.

Furthermore, in addition to having a natural appearance, the wrappingmaterial according to the present disclosure may also have a pleasanttexture. The wrapping material can have a relatively rough surface,which emphasizes its natural appearance or can be further calendared toprovide a smoother feeling.

The wrapping material of the present disclosure may also be used toproduces smoking article having better taste and sensory properties. Forinstance, the wrapping material of the present disclosure produces aless papery taste than conventional smoking papers. Instead, a pleasantneutral or distinct, natural cannabis taste has been observed, even whenthe wrapping material contains cellulosic web building fibers. While thewrapping material according to the present disclosure may have more orless web building fibers by weight, it was surprising that the pleasantnatural cannabis taste was maintained even when a portion of thewrapping material was formed of cellulosic web building fibers.

In addition, the wrapping material produces a cohesive ash with asimilar or improved ash appearance over conventional wrapping material.

While the wrapping material may have a suitable taste and burnproperties, as discussed above, it was also surprisingly found that thewrapping material is a good carrier for other aerosol delivery agents,such as aerosol generating fillers and topical additives which mayinclude flavorings, active ingredients, oils, and extracts. Forinstance, as discussed above, one example of a topical additive may bethe soluble portion of the extracted cannabis materials, which may beoptionally concentrated, may be re-applied to the wrapping materialafter formation of the web to impart further taste and smokecharacteristics. Whereas, an aerosol generating filler may be fibersfrom a fibrous plant or herb that are incorporated into thereconstituted web for added flavoring or components. Therefore, as usedherein, an aerosol delivery agent may be used to refer to both, anaerosol generating filler and/or a topical additive.

Particularly, once the reconstituted plant material has been formed intoa fibrous substrate, such as a wrapping material, as described above,the material can be used as a wrapping material for use with anysuitable smoking article. The wrapping material of the presentdisclosure produces an aerosol or smoke that has a pleasing taste. Ofparticular advantage, the wrapping material of the present disclosure isnicotine free and thus can be used to produce a nicotine-free smokingarticle or a nicotine-free aerosol generating product or can be used tocontrol nicotine delivery in the above products.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cannabis fibers used to producethe wrapping material of the present disclosure can be blended with atobacco material, optionally in addition to the web building fibers, forforming an aerosol generating material with reduced nicotine deliveriesand a desirable taste and smell. The tobacco material blended with thecannabis fibers of the present disclosure can comprise, for instance,cut leaf tobacco, stems, scraps, dust or any other by-products from thetobacco plant.

For instance, the wrapping material of the present disclosure can becombined with tobacco during the production of the wrapping material, ormay be used to surround a tobacco material to form an aerosol generatingmaterial that produces an aerosol or smoke with a controlled amountnicotine in comparison to an aerosol generated by the tobacco materialby itself. For example, the wrapping material of the present disclosurecan be combined with, or surround, any suitable tobacco material in anamount sufficient to produce an aerosol that contains a controlledamount of nicotine or tobacco flavoring. For instance, in oneembodiment, the wrapping material may contain a low amount of nicotine,particularly as compared to a natural tobacco product, and may containabout 0.5% or less nicotine by weight of the wrapping material.Alternatively, a wrapping material may be formed that contains a “high”amount of nicotine as compared to the low nicotine embodiment describedabove, such that the wrapping material contains greater than about 0.5%nicotine by weight of the wrapping material.

In still another embodiment, the wrapping material of the presentdisclosure, instead of being combined with, or surrounding, a tobaccomaterial or in addition to being combined with, or surround, a tobaccomaterial, may be treated with an aerosol delivery composition containingnicotine or tobacco flavoring. The aerosol delivery composition, forinstance, can be topically applied to the wrapping material forincorporating into the material controlled amounts of nicotine. Applyingnicotine to the wrapping material can provide numerous benefits andadvantages. For example, applying nicotine to the wrapping materialallows for precise amounts of nicotine delivery when the wrappingmaterial is converted into an aerosol and inhaled. In addition, thenicotine can be applied to the wrapping material in a manner such thatthe amount of nicotine contained in an aerosol generated by the materialis uniform and consistent from puff to puff. Consequently, in oneembodiment, the wrapping material of the present disclosure can be usedto produce an aerosol generating material that is neutral and pleasantin taste while still delivering controlled amounts of nicotine.

For example, in one embodiment, the aerosol delivery composition appliedto the wrapping material can contain a low amount of nicotine,particularly as compared to a natural tobacco product, and may containabout 0.5% or less nicotine by weight of the wrapping material.Alternatively, a wrapping material may be formed that contains a “high”amount of nicotine as compared to the low nicotine embodiment describedabove, such that the wrapping material contains greater than about 0.5%nicotine by weight of the wrapping material. Additionally oralternatively, a tobacco material that may have all or a portion of thenicotine extracted therefrom can be used to produce a tobacco taste andsmell while nicotine can be applied separately to the wrapping materialin the form of an aerosol delivery composition for better controllingnicotine levels. In this embodiment, the amount of tobacco material inthe aerosol generating material can be less than about 50% by weight,such as less than about 40% by weight, such as less than about 30% byweight, such as less than about 20% by weight, such as less than about10% by weight, and generally greater than about 2% by weight.

In addition to being combined with tobacco materials, it should beunderstood that the wrapping material of the present disclosure can becombined with any suitable aerosol generating fibers, or may surroundany suitable aerosol generating fillers. For instance, the wrappingmaterial of the present disclosure can also be combined with aerosolgenerating fillers made from other plant materials, such as herbalplants, botanical plants, and trees, including herbs, plants and treesthat may be used to form smokable fibers or herbal smokable articles,such as cocoa tree, coffee tree or coffee bean, tea tree or tea leaf,vine, ginger, ginkgo, camomile, tomato, ivy, mate, rooibos, cucumber,mint, a cereal such as wheat, barley or rye, or other trees such asbroadleaved or resinous trees, and the like, as well as combinationsthereof.

In addition to nicotine, the wrapping material of the present disclosureis well suited to receiving other aerosol delivery agents. The wrappingmaterial, for instance, is highly absorbable and can contain up to 40%by weight of topical additives. In this regard, the wrapping material ofthe present disclosure is also well suited to acting as a carrier forvarious different aerosol delivery compositions. Each aerosol deliverycomposition, for instance, can contain one or more aerosol deliveryagents.

Aerosol delivery compositions that can be applied to the wrappingmaterial of the present disclosure include solutions, suspensions, oils,and the like. Solutions and suspensions, for instance, can be applied tothe wrapping material and later dried leaving behind a solid residuewithin the fiber substrate.

In one embodiment, an aerosol delivery composition may be obtained byextracting a plant substance from a plant for application to thewrapping material. Additionally or alternatively, the present disclosuremay include a step for isolating at least one compound from a plantsubstance, concentrating a plant substance, or even purifying oreliminating a compound from a plant substance, in order to obtain amodified plant substance to be applied to the wrapping material. Whileoptional, such a process may result in the transformation of an originalraw plant substance into a modified plant substance, whether in the formof dry extracts, liquid extract, a liquor or an isolated substance,based upon the desired end properties of the plant substance to beapplied to the wrapping material. Of course, while the plant substancemay be an original plant substance or a modified plant substance, in oneembodiment, the plant substance is applied to the wrapping materialwithout undergoing any further processing after extraction. Furthermore,while the aerosol delivery composition has been described as beingextracted from a plant, it should be understood that synthetic ornaturally occurring aerosol delivery compositions (e.g. without needingto be extracted) may also be used.

Examples of aerosol delivery agents that may be contained in the aerosoldelivery composition include, or may be an extract of, (in addition tonicotine) sugars, licorice extracts, menthol, honey, coffee extracts,maple syrup, tobacco extracts, botanical extracts, plant extracts, teaextracts, fruit extracts, flavorings such as clove, anise, cinnamon,sandalwood, geranium, rose oil, vanilla, caramel, cocoa, lemon oil,cassia, spearmint, fennel, or ginger, fragrances or aromas such ascocoa, vanilla, and caramel, medicinal plants, vegetables, spices,roots, berries, bar, seeks, essential oils and extracts thereof, such asanise oil, clove oil, carvone and the like, artificial flavoring andfragrance materials such as vanillin, and mixtures thereof. The extractsapplied to the wrapping material can be water soluble or waterdispersible. Thus, various different carrier liquids can be used toapply the aerosol delivery agents to the wrapping material.

In one embodiment, the wrapping material of the present disclosure canbe used as a carrier for components obtained from cannabis. Cannabis,for instance, has recently been legalized in many states in the UnitedStates for both medical and recreational use. In addition, variouschemicals and compounds contained in cannabis are becoming more and morepopular drugs for pain relief in lieu of conventional pain reliefmedicines, such as opioids. Cannabis, for instance, contains variouscannabinoids that can be used for pain relief. Inhaling an aerosolcreated by cannabis is the most common and least expensive method fordelivering drugs contained in cannabis to a user. Unfortunately,however, merely inhaling aerosol generated from dried cannabis buds orleaves can lead to non-uniform deliveries of the pain relief drugscontained in the plant. Deliveries of the cannabinoids, for instance,can vary dramatically depending upon the particular plant and theparticular plant parts being used to generate the aerosol. In addition,cannabinoid deliveries can vary dramatically based upon other factorssuch as the packing density of the material, the particular type ofaerosol-generating device or smoking article used to produce an aerosol,and the like. In addition, aerosols created from cannabis plant cancontain irritants and produce a relatively harsh aerosol or smoke. Forinstance, the aerosol generated from the wrapping material of thepresent disclosure is non-irritating, and has a neutral taste.Cannabinoids that can be incorporated into the wrapping material of thepresent disclosure include cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol(THC). THC contained in cannabis acts on specific receptors in the brainwhich lead to a feeling of euphoria and a relaxed state. CBD, on theother hand, also interacts with pain receptors in the brain but does notcreate the same euphoric feeling caused by THC. In accordance with thepresent disclosure, in one embodiment, THC can be applied to thewrapping material of the present disclosure, CBD can be applied to thewrapping material or, alternatively, both THC and CBD can be applied tothe wrapping material.

In addition to THC and CBD, various other cannabinoids can also beincorporated into an aerosol delivery composition and applied to thewrapping material in accordance with the present disclosure. Forinstance, other cannabinoids contained in cannabis includecannabichromene, cannabinol, cannabigerol, tetrahydrocannabivarin,cannabidivarin, cannabidiolic acid, other cannabidiol derivatives, andother tetrahydrocannabinol derivatives. The above cannabinoids can beused singularly or in any combination and applied to the wrappingmaterial.

The cannabinoids described above can be applied to the wrapping materialusing various different methods. For instance, in one embodiment, thecannabinoid, such as CBD, can be formulated into a water soluble form orpowder that can be applied to the wrapping material as a solution oraqueous suspension. Alternatively, a cannabis oil extract may beobtained from raw cannabis plants. The oil extract may contain THCalone, CBD alone, or a combination of THC and CBD. The oil extract canbe applied to the wrapping material so that an aerosol generated by thematerial contains controlled amounts of the cannabinoids. In addition tocontaining controlled amounts of the cannabinoids, the wrapping materialcan also be designed to provide uniform deliveries of the cannabinoidsin the aerosol generated from the material.

Another component that can be added to the reconstituted cannabismaterial are various flavorants, especially terpenes. A terpene or ablend of terpenes, for instance, can be used to develop desirable aromasand indicate to the user the quality of the product. One or moreterpenes can also improve the sensory reaction to inhaling an aerosolcreated by the reconstituted material.

Various different terpenes can be applied to the reconstituted plantmaterial. Such terpenes include but are not limited to pinene, humulene,b-caryophyllene, isopulegol, guaiol, nerylacetate, neomenthylacetate,limonene, menthone, dihydrojasmone, terpinolene, menthol, phellandrene,terpinene, geranylacetate, ocimene, myrcene, 1,4-cineole, 3-carene,linalool, menthofuran, perillyalcohol, pinane, neomenthylaceta,alpha-bisabolol, borneol, camphene, camphor, caryophyllene oxide,alpha-cedrene, beta-eudesmol, fenchol, geraniol, isoborneol, nerol,sabinene, alpha-terpineol, and mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, various different terpenes can be blended together inorder to mimic the ratios of terpenes found in natural cannabis plants.For instance, from about 2 to about 12 terpenes can be blended togetherand applied to the reconstituted plant material. Each terpene can beapplied to the reconstituted plant material in an amount greater thanabout 0.001% by weight and generally less than about 2% by weight. Forinstance, each terpene can be applied in an amount from about 0.01% byweight to about 1.5% by weight. For instance, each terpene can beapplied in an amount from about 0.1% to about 1.1% by weight.

Exemplary blends of terpenes include alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene,and beta-pinene; alpha-humulene, alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene,beta-pinene, and guaiol; beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, andd-limonene; beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, and nerolidol;beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, d-limonene, and terpinolene;alpha-bisabolol, alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, beta-myrcene,beta-pinena, and d-limonene; beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinena, andp-cymene; alpha-humulene, beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, d-limonene,linalool, and nerolidol; beta-caryophyllene and beta-pinene;beta-caryophyllene, beta-myrcene, and terpinolene; alpha-pinene,beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, d-limonene; alpha-humulene,alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, beta-myrcene, beta-pinena, d-limonene,and guaiol.

Regardless of the aerosol delivery composition and agent selected, thewrapping material according to the present disclosure may be used as acarrier for the aerosol delivery composition and agent. As the wrappingmaterial has a pleasant natural cannabis taste and smell, the wrappingmaterial may also exhibit a taste and smell imparted by the aerosoldelivery composition and agent. The aerosol delivery composition andagent may be contained in the wrapping material in an amount greaterthan about 0.1% by weight, such as at least about 1% or greater, such asat least about 5% or greater, such as at least about 10% or greater,such as at least about 15% or greater, such as at least about 20% orgreater, such as at least about 25% or greater, such as at least about30% or greater, such as at least about 35% or greater, such as 40% orless, or any ranges therebetween. Of course, in one embodiment, thesoluble portion of the cannabis materials may be reapplied to thewrapping material. While the soluble portion may be applied in anyamount as discussed above in regards to the aerosol deliverycomposition, the soluble portion of the cannabis material may becontained in the wrapping material in an amount greater than about 0.1%by weight, such as at least about 1% or greater, such as at least about5% or greater, such as at least about 10% or greater, such as at leastabout 15% or greater, such as at least about 20% or greater, such as atleast about 25% or greater, such as at least about 30% or greater, suchas at least about 35% or greater, such as 40% or less.

Wrapping materials made according to the present disclosure can beincorporated into all different types of smoking articles andaerosol-generating materials. For illustrative purposes only, one suchsmoking article is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, the smoking article10 includes a smokable column 12. The smoking article 10 may alsoinclude a wrapping material 100 that defines an outer circumferentialsurface 16 when wrapped around the smokable column 12. The article 10may also include a filter 26 that may be enclosed by a tipping paper,however, depending upon the smokable column material, a filter may beoptional or omitted.

The smoking article shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 generally comprises acannabis cigarette. In other embodiments, however, the wrapping materialof the present disclosure can be used to produce other cannabis andcannabis products, as well as herbal cigarettes, cigarillos, and littlecigars, or pre-rolled cones or even conventional tobacco smokingarticles. While not shown, a cigarillo, for example, can include aplastic tip.

Notwithstanding the articles that may utilize a wrapping material 100according to the present disclosure, FIG. 3a shows an embodiment of thepresent disclosure wherein the wrapping material 100 is formulated as abooklet of individual wrapping materials 100 affixed to one or moreadjacent wrapping materials 100 via a natural, or at least smokable oredible, adhesive 104. As shown in FIG. 3b , in one embodiment, theadhesive 104 may only be located on a portion of the wrapping material100, such as on an edge 106 thereof. Additionally or alternatively, theadhesive may only be located on a first side 108, which is opposite asecond side 110. In such an embodiment, the first side 108 of a firstwrapping material 100 may have an adhesive 104 located thereon, and maybe oriented so as to be placed in contact with a second side 110 of anadjacent piece of wrapping material 100. As such, each piece of wrappingmaterial 100 may have adhesive on a single side, so as to adhere to animmediately adjacent piece of wrapping material 100 or to a backingmaterial 112. However, it should be understood that, in an alternativeembodiment, the adhesive 104 may be located on both sides, 108 and 110,or on one or more portions of either side 108 and 110.

Regardless of the manner in which the adhesive is applied, the adhesivemay be selected to be “resealable” in that the adhesive may serve toreleasably affix a piece of wrapping material 100 to an adjacent pieceof wrapping material 100, until such a time as a user wishes to remove apiece of wrapping material 100 from an adjacent piece of wrappingmaterial. At such a point, the adhesive 104 may retain its adherenceproperties, and may serve to adhere to a portion of the wrappingmaterial 100 to which the adhesive 104 has been applied, such as, forexample, referring to FIG. 2, the adhesive 104 may adhere a first edge114, or an area of the wrapping material adjacent to the first edge 114,of the wrapping material 100 to a second edge 116, or area of thewrapping material adjacent to the second edge 116, when forming asmokable article. Of course, the adhesive 104 may also be used to attachthe wrapping material 100 to a second piece of wrapping material 100, orto any portion on either side of the wrapping material 100 to which theadhesive 104 has been applied. For instance, an embodiment where anadhesive 104 may be utilized or desired, is for hand-rolled smokingarticles

Regardless, while a seal or resealable material, such as an adhesive,may be applied by many different processes, in one embodiment, thesealable material or adhesive is applied by an off-line process oron-line sizing process. Either method, or another method, may be used toapply an adhesive 104 to at least one portion, such as at least twoportions, at least three portions, or more portions of the wrappingmaterial, and in one embodiment, may be used to apply an adhesive 104 toall or a majority of at least one side of the wrapping material.Nonetheless, when off-line gumming is used to apply the adhesive 104,the adhesive 104 may be applied by various techniques including coating,spraying, and printing. Conversely, on-line sizing may include addingone or more adhesives 104 to a size-press during the production processof the wrapping material as described in the present disclosure.

Notwithstanding the manner in which the adhesive 104 is applied to thewrapping material 100, in one embodiment, the adhesive may includealginates, arabic gum, guar gum, pectin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylacetate, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, methylcellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose, starch, starch derivatives, andthe like.

In one particular embodiment, the adhesive material may include anArabic gum, cellulose, and/or cellulose derivatives. In one embodiment,cellulose derivatives include carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC),methylcellulose (CM), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). Of course,it should be understood that other adhesive materials may be used asknown in the art.

Regardless of the adhesive used, the adhesive may be present on thewrapping material or web in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 15% byweight, such as from about 2% to about 5% by weight. In one embodiment,the adhesive may be applied via a spray, such as a microspray, or may beotherwise applied so as to form a thin coating over the desired area.

In one embodiment, smoking articles made according to the presentdisclosure can also have reduced ignition propensity characteristics.For instance, the wrapping material of the present disclosure may beused as an outer wrapper of the smoking article, and can include aplurality of discrete reduced ignition areas spaced in the axialdirection of the smoking article. For instance, in one embodiment, thediscrete reduced ignition areas may be in the form of circular bands.The bands can have a width so that oxygen is limited to the burning coalfor a sufficient length or period of time to extinguish the coal if thesmoking article were left in a static burn condition. The bands, forinstance, can have a width of generally greater than about 3 mm, such asgreater than about 4 mm, such as greater than about 5 mm, and generallyless than about 10 mm, such as less than about 8 mm, such as less thanabout 7 mm.

The spacing between the reduced ignition areas can also vary dependingupon a number of variables. The spacing should not be so great that thecigarette burns for a sufficient length of time to ignite a substratebefore the coal burns into a reduced ignition area. The spacing alsoaffects the thermal inertia of the burning coal, or the ability of thecoal to burn through the reduced ignition areas withoutself-extinguishing. In general, the band spacing should be greater thanabout 5 mm, such as greater than about 10 mm, such as greater than about15 mm, and generally less than about 50 mm, such as less than about 40mm, such as less than about 30 mm. Each smoking article can contain fromabout 1 to about 3 bands.

In general, any suitable ignition reducing composition can be applied tothe outer wrapper/wrapping material of the smoking article. In oneembodiment, for instance, the ignition reducing composition contains afilm-forming material. For example, film-forming materials that can beused in accordance with the present invention include alginates, guargum, pectin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, cellulose derivativessuch as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose,starch, starch derivatives, and the like.

In one particular embodiment, the film-forming material may comprise analginate, alone or in combination with starch. In general, an alginateis a derivative of an acidic polysaccaride or gum which occurs as theinsoluble mixed calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium salt in thePhaeophyceae brown seaweeds. Generally speaking, these derivatives arecalcium, sodium, potassium, and/or magnesium salts of high molecularweight polysaccarides composed of varying proportions of D-mannuronicacid and L-guluronic acid. Exemplary salts or derivatives of alginicacid include ammonium alginate, potassium alginate, sodium alginate,propylene glycol alginate, and/or mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, a relatively low molecular weight alginate may beused. For example, the alginates may have a viscosity of less than about500 cP when contained in a 3% by weight aqueous solution at 25° C. Moreparticularly, the alginates may have a viscosity of less than 250 cP atthe above conditions, particularly less than 100 cP, and in oneembodiment at a viscosity of about 20-60 cP. As used herein, viscosityis determined by a Brookfield LVF Viscometer with a suitable spindleaccording to the viscosity. At the above lower viscosity levels,alginate compositions can be formed at a higher solids content, but yetat a low enough solution viscosity to permit the application of thecomposition to a paper wrapper using conventional techniques. Forexample, the solids content of an alginate solution made in accordancewith the present invention can be greater than about 6%, particularlygreater than about 10%, and more particularly from about 10% to about20% by weight.

At the above solids levels, alginate compositions used in accordancewith the present invention can have a solution viscosity of greater thanabout 250 cP, particularly greater than about 500 cP, more particularlygreater than about 800 cP, and in one embodiment at a viscosity ofgreater than about 1,000 cP at 25° C. In general, the solution viscosityof the alginate film-forming composition can be adjusted depending uponthe manner in which the composition is being applied to the wrapper. Forinstance, the solution viscosity of the composition can be adjusteddepending upon whether or not the composition is being sprayed onto thepaper or printed onto the paper.

In other embodiments, it should also be understood that depending uponthe application a relatively high molecular weight alginate may be used.For example, the alginate may have a viscosity of greater than about 500cP when contained in a 3% by weight aqueous solution at 25° C.

In addition to the film-forming material, the reduced ignitioncomposition applied to the wrapper can contain various otheringredients.

For instance, in one embodiment, a filler can be contained within thecomposition. The filler can be, for instance, calcium carbonate, calciumchloride, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, and the like. In additionto calcium compounds, other various particles may be used includingmagnesium compounds such as magnesium oxide, clay particles, and thelike.

The ignition reducing composition, in one embodiment, can be waterbased. In particular, the ignition reducing composition may comprise anaqueous dispersion or aqueous solution. Alternatively, the ignitionreducing composition prior to being applied to the paper wrapper maycomprise a non-aqueous solution or dispersion. In this embodiment, forinstance, an alcohol may be present for applying the composition to thewrapper.

As opposed to a film-forming composition, the ignition reducingcomposition may also comprise a cellulose slurry (a type of dispersion).As used herein, a slurry containing papermaking materials is not afilm-forming composition. The cellulose slurry applied to the papersubstrate may comprise fibrous cellulose, one or more fillers, and/orcellulose particles. As used herein, cellulose fibers and celluloseparticles are to be differentiated from derivatized cellulose such ascarboxymethyl cellulose. Cellulose fibers and cellulose particles, forinstance, are not water soluble. In one embodiment, the cellulose slurryapplied to the paper substrate may comprise microcrystalline cellulose.

Once the ignition reducing composition is formulated, the compositioncan be applied to a paper wrapper in discrete areas. The manner in whichthe composition is applied to the paper wrapper can vary. For example,the composition can be sprayed, brushed, applied with a moving orifice,or printed onto the wrapper. To form a treated area, the composition canbe applied in a single pass or in a multiple pass operation. Forinstance, the composition can be applied to the wrapping paper insuccessive steps in order to form areas on the paper having reducedignition proclivity. In general, during a multiple pass process, thetreated areas can be formed by applying the composition during fromabout 2 to about 8 passes.

The amount of reduced ignition composition applied to the wrapper canalso vary. For instance, the composition can be applied to the wrapperin an amount less than about 15% by weight, such as less than about 10%by weight, such as less than about 8% by weight. In general, thecomposition is applied in an amount greater than 1% by weight based uponthe weight of the composition within the reduced ignition areas.

As used herein, the above weight percentages are based on the areatreated with the chemical components. In other words, the weightpercentages above for the reduced ignition composition is the amountapplied within the treated areas as opposed to the total amount appliedover the entire surface of the wrapper.

Through the process of the present disclosure, reduced ignition areascan be produced having a relatively high permeability while also havinga relatively low diffusivity. For instance, the reduced ignition areascan have a permeability greater than 10 CORESTA while still beingcapable of producing smoking articles that pass ASTM Test E2187-09 atleast 75% of the time.

In general, the reduced ignition areas have a diffusivity that isrelatively low. The diffusivity can be measured at room temperature (23°C.). In general, the diffusivity at 23° C. of the reduced ignition areasis less than about 0.5 cm/s, such as less than 0.4 cm/s, such as lessthan 0.3 cm/s. In one embodiment, the reduced ignition areas may have adiffusivity of greater than about 0.05 cm/s, such as greater than about0.15 cm/s, such as greater than 0.16 cm/s, such as greater than 0.17cm/s, while still having the desired reduced ignition proclivitycharacteristics. Diffusivity is measured using a Sodim CO2 diffusivitytester.

While additives may not be necessary in the wrapping material, as thewrapping material according to the present disclosure naturally has goodmanufacturing properties (e.g. tensile strength) and sensory properties,generally, a wrapping material according to the present disclosure mayinclude one or more additives. Additives may be used for manufacturingwrapping papers so as to develop or give the wrapping material newproperties, for instance chemical, optical, sensory or mechanicalproperties such as tear strength or folding resistance. In oneembodiment, an additive may be a humectant, fillers, burn controladditives, gums, wet strength agent, an oil-barrier and fat-barrieragent, a antiblocking agent, a dry strength agent, a softener, a wettingagent or lattices.

In one embodiment, the reconstituted web material can further contain ahumectant. The humectant can be incorporated into the wrapping materialfor various different reasons in order to provide different benefits andadvantages. For instance, in one embodiment, a humectant may beincorporated into the wrapping material in order to improve theprocessability and handling of the resulting fiber substrate.

While various humectants may be incorporated into the wrapping materialof the present disclosure, humectants may include a polyol, a non-polyolor a mixture thereof. Typically a polyol generating agent may besorbitol, glycerol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol or a mixturethereof. Typically a non-polyol generating agent may be lactic acid,glyceryl diacetate, glyceryl triacetate, triethyl citrate or isopropylmyristate or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the humectant isglycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propyleneglycol, glycerol being preferred glycerol, propylene glycol, or mixturesthereof. Regardless of the humectant selected, the humectant may bepresent in the wrapping material in an amount of from 0.1% to about 20%by weight of the wrapping material, such as from about 1% to about 10%,such as from about 2% to about 8% by weight of the wrapping material, orany ranges therebetween.

The wrapping material of the present disclosure may also optionallycontain a filler. The filler can comprise particles incorporated intothe reconstituted web material for any desired purpose, such as forfacilitating formation of the wrapping material and/or for affecting theappearance or strength of the material. Fillers may include kaolin clay,magnesium oxide, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, talc, bariumsulfate, a bentonite, a zeolite, a silicate, mica, or a mixture thereof.Furthermore, as the wrapping material according to the presentdisclosure has a natural color an appearance, it is not necessary toselect a white filler. Therefore, additional fillers may be used as areknown in the art. The addition of this filler may modify some of themechanical properties of the wrapping material, in particular theproperties allowing it to be printed or written on it. This filler mayalso give the wrapping material certain sensory properties.

The amount of filler in the wrapping material according to the inventionis from 0% to 40%, preferably from 5% to 20%, even more preferentiallyfrom 10% to 20% by weight of the wrapping material.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, the particle size of the filler may becarefully controlled such that the average particle size of the filleris from about 10 microns or less, such as about 7.5 microns or less,such as from about 5 microns or less, and may also be about 0.1 micronsor greater. Of course, in an alternative embodiment, the particle sizemay be more varied based upon the desired characteristics to be obtainedfrom the filler.

The burn control agent, for instance, may comprise a salt of acarboxylic acid. For example, the burn control agent may comprise analkali metal salt of a carboxylic acid, an alkaline earth metal salt ofa carboxylic acid, or mixtures thereof. Examples of burn control agentsthat may be used include a salt of acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid,lactic acid, tartaric acid, carbonic acid, formic acid, propionic acid,glycolic acid, fumaric acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid,nitric acid, phosphoric acid, or mixtures thereof. Particular burncontrolling agents that may be used include potassium citrate, sodiumcitrate, potassium succinate, sodium succinate, or mixtures thereof.When present, the burn control agent can be applied to the wrappingmaterial generally in an amount greater than about 0.1% by weight, suchas in an amount greater than about 0.5% by weight, such as in an amountgreater than about 1% by weight and generally less than about 5% byweight, such as less than about 4% by weight, such as less than about 3%by weight, such as less than about 2% by weight.

Gums may include alginates, arabic gum, guar gum, pectin, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinyl acetate, cellulose derivatives such as ethylcellulose, methyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose, starch, starchderivatives, and the like. In one particular embodiment, the gum maycomprise an alginate, alone or in combination with starch. In general,an alginate is a derivative of an acidic polysaccaride or gum whichoccurs as the insoluble mixed calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesiumsalt in the Phaeophyceae brown seaweeds. Generally speaking, thesederivatives are calcium, sodium, potassium, and/or magnesium salts ofhigh molecular weight polysaccarides composed of varying proportions ofD-mannuronic acid and L-guluronic acid. Exemplary salts or derivativesof alginic acid include ammonium alginate, potassium alginate, sodiumalginate, propylene glycol alginate, and/or mixtures thereof. Gums maybe used in addition to adhesive agents, or in one embodiment, the gumserves as the adhesive agent, and is provided as part of the web insteadof being applied to an exterior of the wrapping material as discussedabove.

A wet strength agent may reduce the potential for degradation of thewrapping material if the latter is placed in contact with a liquid, suchas water. Typically, the wet strength agent may be chosen frompolyamides, such as epichlorohydrin resin, a polyamine-epichlorohydrinresin, a poly(aminoamide)-epichlorohydrin resin, a urea-formaldehyderesin, a melamine-formaldehyde resin; an alkyl-ketene dimer;alkylsuccinic anhydride; a polyvinylamine; an oxidized polysaccharide.Typically, the amount of wet strength agent is from 0.1% to 30%,preferably from 1% to 15%, even more preferentially from 5% to 10% bydry weight of the wrapping material.

An oil-barrier and fat-barrier agent may reduce the absorption of fatsby the paper. Typically, the oil-barrier and fat-barrier agent may bechosen from carboxymethylcellulose, polyacrylamides, acrylic esters andlatices.

A antiblocking agent may limit the adhesion of a material to the paper.Typically, the antiblocking agent may be chosen fromcarboxymethylcellulose, polyacrylamides, acrylic esters, silicones andlatices.

A dry strength agent may increase the resistance of the wrappingmaterial if the latter is subjected to large mechanical stresses. Thedry strength agent may be chosen from starches and modified gums,cellulose polymers, synthetic polymers, for instancecarboxymethylcellulose and polyacrylamides. Typically, the amount of drystrength agent is from 0.1% to 15%, preferably from 1% to 10%, even morepreferentially from 1% to 5% by dry weight of the wrapping material.

A softener may improve the softness of the wrapping material. Typically,a softener is a fatty acid, a siloxane compound, a silicone compound, anaminosilicone compound, an extract of aloe vera, an extract of sweetalmond, an extract of camomile, a quaternary ammonium compound.Typically, the amount of softener is from 0.1% to 30%, preferably from1% to 15%, even more preferentially from 5% to 10% by dry weight of thewrapping material.

The finished web or wrapper is dried and wound into rolls. For instance,in one embodiment, the dried sheet is wound into bobbins having a widthof from about 15 mm to about 54 mm, such as from about 19 mm to about 28mm. Prior to winding the web into a bobbin, the web may be calendered toincrease the smoothness and runnability of the material. In oneembodiment, for instance, a multi-nip calendar device may be used.

Wrapping materials made in accordance with the present disclosure haveexcellent mechanical characteristics and have a very desirable andaesthetic appearance. The aesthetic appearance can be further improvedby the addition of dyes (synthetic and/or natural) and filigreeingtechnologies.

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to thefollowing examples.

EXAMPLES Example 1

A cannabis wrapper according to the invention utilizing cannabis fiberswas manufactured according to the following method: cannabis hurds wereground to a particle size between 250 and 500 μm. The ground cannabismaterial was then pulped in water at 70° C. for 30 minutes, in acannabis to water ratio of 1:20. The mixture was then processed througha centrifuge so as to separate the soluble portion (cannabis watersolubles) from the insoluble portion (insoluble hemp fiber residue). Theinsoluble portion was mixed with bleached hemp pulp, used as webbuilding fibers from hemp, in a ratio of the insoluble portion to hemppulp of 3:1 (dry weight:dry weight) and the mixed slurry was thenrefined through disk refiners. After refining, a base sheet was formedfrom the refined slurry. The aqueous soluble portion originating fromthe cannabis plant (also referred to herein as cannabis water solubles)was then mixed with various additives, including aerosol generatingagents and/or pigments. The resulting reconstituted hemp material wasfinally dried into a web, and formed into a cannabis wrapping material:

-   -   Sample A: Coating of 6% by weight of glycerol and approximately        2% by weight of dyes, diluted in extracted cannabis solubles.    -   Sample B: Coating of 6% by weight of glycerol, approximately 2%        by weight of dyes, and 0.5% by weight of a flavoring, generally        referred to as a harshness reducing flavor, diluted in extracted        cannabis solubles.    -   Sample C: Coating of 6% by weight of glycerol, approximately 2%        by weight of dyes, and 0.5% by weight of Herbal flavor, diluted        in extracted cannabis solubles.    -   Samples A, B, and C were formed into smoking articles manually;        empty tubes were filled with each sample individually and smoked        by an expert panel of 3 people

Evaluation: All samples exhibited a homogeneous appearance with acannabis-like color. When compared to a reference rolling paper made of100% hemp pulp, Sample A exhibited a slightly less irritating smoke anda less acrid aftertaste. The aroma was neutral to slightly papery.

Compared to Sample A, Sample B exhibited an even lower harshness.

Compared to Sample A, Sample C exhibited a subtle and pleasant herbalaroma.

Example 2

A hemp wrapper was prepared according to the conditions described inExample 1, except that variants were prepared with different types andlevels of pigments. The color of the samples was measured according tothe CIE Hunter L*a*b scale. The Hunter Lab color scale was created in1948 by Richard S. Hunter and is described in “The Measurement ofAppearance,” 2nd Addition, John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y., 1987. Itdescribes all the colors visible to the human eye and was created toserve as a device-independent model to be used as a reference.

The three coordinates of the Hunter Lab scale represent the lightness ofthe color (L=0 yields black and L=100 indicates diffuse white; specularwhite may be higher), its position between red/magenta and green (a,negative values indicate green while positive values indicate magenta)and its position between yellow and blue (b, negative values indicateblue and positive values indicate yellow).

Results are shown hereafter:

Sample Pigments L a b Comments A Caramel: 5% 63.7 1.0 24.6 Beige/ChamoisChlorophyllin: 0.05% color B Caramel: 1% 57.6 −11.9 15.3 Light greenChlorophyllin: 0.05% color FD&C dyes: 0.3% C Caramel: 1% 48.8 −0.7 14.0Deep green Chlorophyllin: 0.05% color FD&C dyes: 0.3%

The results show that a wide range of color can be achieved with thecannabis wrapping material, and additionally that shade can be adjustedto the desired target using a specific combination of pigments.

Example 3

A cannabis wrapper according to the invention utilizing cannabis fiberswas manufactured according to the following method: cannabis leaves andcannabis flowers were blended in a ratio of 1:1 and ground to a particlesize of 10 mm. The ground cannabis blend was then pulped in water at 70°C. for 30 minutes, in a hemp to water ratio of 1:20. The mixture wasthen processed through a centrifuge so as to separate the solubleportion (cannabis water solubles) from the insoluble portion (insolublecannabis fiber residue). The insoluble fibrous portion was mixed withbleached hemp pulp, used as web building fibers from hemp, in a ratio ofinsoluble fibrous portion to hemp pulp of 4:1 (dry weight:dry weight)and the mixed slurry was then refined through disk refiners. Afterrefining, a web or sheet was formed from the refined slurry. The solubleportion originating from the cannabis plant (also referred to herein ascannabis water solubles) was mixed with a solution of glycerol andmethylcellulose. The final solution was coated on the web or sheet sothat the final amount of methylcellulose included on the dried web orsheet was 2.5% by weight of the final product. The resulting material isfinally dried.

After drying, the sample was tested for seal strength. The cannabiswrapper was licked or wetted with an aqueous solution on one side, andthe wetted portion was adhered to a non-wetted portion of the cannabiswrapper to simulate hand-rolling a conventional smoking article. It wasunexpectedly discovered that a very efficient seal was produced betweenthe wetted and non-wetted portions of the cannabis wrapper producedaccording to this example. Thus, the seal formed between the wetted andnon-wetted portions of the cannabis wrapper exhibited propertiesnecessary for alternative wrappers or hand-rolled smoking articles.

Example 4

A cannabis wrapper according to the invention utilizing cannabis fiberswas manufactured according to the following method: cannabis leaves andcannabis flowers were blended in a ratio of 1:1 and ground to a particlesize of 10 mm. The ground cannabis blend was then pulped in water at 70°C. for 30 minutes, in a hemp to water ratio of 1:20. The mixture wasthen processed through a centrifuge so as to separate the solubleportion (cannabis water solubles) from the insoluble fibrous portion(insoluble cannabis fiber residues. The fibrous portion was mixed withbleached hemp pulp, used as web building fibers from hemp, in a ratio ofinsoluble fibrous residue to hemp pulp of 4:1 (dry weight:dry weight)and the mixed slurry was then refined through disk refiners. Afterrefining, a web or sheet was formed from the refined slurry. The solubleportion originating from the cannabis plant (also referred to herein ascannabis water solubles) was further concentrated in an evaporator toreach a Brix of approximately 35%, and then mixed with glycerol to forma solution. The final solution was then coated on the web or sheet toreach a level of solubles of approximately 30% (including 6% glycerol),by weight when dried, based upon the dry weight of the final product.

Evaluation: The web or sheet before coating with the solution shows apleasant green color with obvious speckles, thereby exhibiting a verynatural appearance. It was unexpectedly exhibited very good burningproperties and a slightly noticeable cannabis smell.

The final material, after coating the web or sheet with the solution,shows a similar natural appearance, but exhibited a more yellow colorand a shinier appearance than the web or sheet prior to coating. It wasobserved that the burning speed was rather slow, but notself-extinguishing, and exhibited a very pleasant cannabis smell whenburning.

Example 5

A cannabis wrapper according to the invention utilizing cannabis fiberswas manufactured according to the following method: a blend of cannabisfibers and cannabis leaves were ground to a particle size of 0.5 mm. Theground cannabis blend was then pulped in water at 70° C. for 30 minutes,in a hemp to water ratio of 1:10. The mixture was then processed througha centrifuge so as to separate the soluble portion (cannabis watersolubles) from the insoluble fibrous portion (insoluble cannabis fiberresidue). The fibrous portion was mixed with bleached hemp pulp, used asweb building fibers from hemp, in a ratio of insoluble fibrous portionto hemp of 4:1 (dry weight:dry weight) and the mixed slurry was thenrefined through disk refiners. After refining, a base web or sheet wasformed from the refined slurry. The soluble portion originating from thecannabis plant (also referred to herein as cannabis water solubles) wasfurther concentrated in an evaporator to reach a Brix of approximately30%, and then mixed with glycerol to form a solution. The final solutionwas then coated on the web or sheet to reach a level of solubles ofapproximately 30% by weight when dried, based upon the dry weight of thefinal product. (In comparison, Sample A included 3% glycerol and SampleB included 8% glycerol respectively).

Evaluation: The web or sheet, before coating the web or sheet with thesolution, exhibited a pale yellow color, with a very homogeneousdistribution of the hemp particles. It was unexpectedly shown to havegood burning properties and a pleasant, slightly sweet smell.

The final material, after coating the web or sheet with the solution,exhibited a similar appearance to the web or sheet prior to coating, buta deeper and shinier yellow shade was observed. It was observed that theburning speed was rather slow, but not self-extinguishing, and that thesample exhibited a gentle and pleasant cannabis smell when burning.While not wishing to be bound by theory, the present inventors believethat application of a higher glycerol level in Sample B provided a moreflexible product texture.

Various different wrapping materials can be made in accordance with thepresent disclosure. In an embodiment, the wrapping material comprises aweb containing extracted cannabis fibers combined with web buildingfibers. The web can have a basis weight of from about 20 gsm to about 80gsm and can have a permeability of from about 10 Coresta to about 100Coresta.

The web building fibers combined with the extracted cannabis fibers inany of the embodiments described above can vary. In an embodiment, theweb building fibers are pulp fibers, such as softwood fibers, hardwoodfibers, or mixtures thereof. In an embodiment, the web building fiberscontain softwood fibers and hardwood fibers in a ratio of from 1:2 to2:1. In an embodiment, the web building fibers comprise flax fibers. Inan embodiment, the web building fibers are abaca fibers. In anembodiment, the web building fibers are bamboo fibers. In an embodiment,the web building fibers are coconut fibers. In an embodiment, the webbuilding fibers are ramie fibers. In an embodiment, the web buildingfibers are jute fibers. In an embodiment, the web building fibers arehemp pulp fibers. The hemp pulp fibers can be used alone or incombination with wood pulp fibers, such as softwood fibers, hardwoodfibers, or mixtures thereof. In an embodiment, the web building fibersare present in the wrapping material in an amount greater than about 3%by weight. In an embodiment, the web building fibers are present in thewrapping material in an amount greater than 5% by weight. In anembodiment, the web building fibers are present in the wrapping materialin an amount greater than about 8% by weight. In an embodiment, the webbuilding fibers are present in the wrapping material in an amountgreater than about 12% by weight. In an embodiment, the web buildingfibers are present in the wrapping material in an amount greater thanabout 18% by weight. In an embodiment, the web building fibers arepresent in the wrapping material in an amount less than about 50% byweight, such as in an amount less than about 40% by weight.

The extracted cannabis fibers combined with the web building fibers canbe obtained from different sources. In an embodiment, the extractedcannabis fibers comprise cannabis leaves. In an embodiment, theextracted cannabis fibers comprise cannabis stems. In an embodiment, thecannabis fibers comprise cannabis buds. In an embodiment, the cannabisfibers comprise cannabis flowers. In an embodiment, the extractedcannabis fibers comprise cannabis buds and/or cannabis flowers combinedwith cannabis leaves and/or cannabis stems.

In an embodiment, the extracted cannabis fibers can be obtained fromvirgin materials. In an embodiment, the extracted cannabis fibers can beobtained from cannabis extracted byproducts in which the byproductsundergo an additional water soluble extraction to form the extractedcannabis fibers. In an embodiment, the extracted cannabis fibers can beobtained from a mixture of virgin cannabis materials and cannabisextracted byproducts.

In any of the embodiments described above, the wrapping material cancontain a filler. The filler is combined with the extracted cannabisfibers and the web building fibers The filler can be present in anamount from about 1% to about 40% by weight. The filler can comprisecalcium carbonate particles. In an embodiment, the filler is magnesiumoxide particles. In an embodiment, the filler is a combination ofcalcium carbonate particles and magnesium oxide particles.

In an embodiment, the web can be treated with a gum. In an embodiment,the web can be treated with a gum and a humectant.

In any of the embodiments described above, the wrapping material canalso include a plurality of discrete reduced ignition areas spaced alonga first direction of the wrapping material. The reduced ignition areascan have a diffusivity of less than about 0.5 cm/s at 23° C. In anembodiment, the plurality of reduced ignition areas can be formed byapplying a reduced ignition composition to the web.

These and other modifications and variations to the present inventionmay be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which ismore particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may beinterchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is byway of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention sofurther described in such appended claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A wrapping material for a smoking articlecomprising: a web comprising (1) extracted cannabis fibers comprisingcannabis leaves, cannabis stems, cannabis buds, cannabis flowers, orby-products from cannabis extraction, or mixtures thereof combined with(2) web building fibers, the web having a basis weight of from about 20gsm to about 80 gsm and having a permeability of from about 10 Corestato about 100 Coresta.
 2. A wrapping material as defined in claim 1,wherein the web building fibers comprise delignified cellulosic fibers.3. A wrapping material as defined in claim 1, wherein the extractedcannabis fibers include from about 10% to about 100% by weight extractedcannabis leaves or hurds, from about 10% to about 100% by weightextracted cannabis buds and/or flowers, and wherein the web includesfrom about 1% by weight to about 70% by weight web building fibers.
 4. Awrapping material as defined in claim 1, wherein the web is formed froma cannabis plant material containing less than 0.3% by weighttetrahydrocannabinol.
 5. A wrapping material as defined in claim 1,wherein the web further comprises a filler combined with the extractedcannabis fibers and the web building fibers.
 6. A wrapping material asdefined in claim 1, wherein the web has a permeability of from about 30Coresta to about 80 Coresta.
 7. A wrapping material as defined in claim1, wherein the extracted cannabis fibers comprise cannabis extractedbyproducts that have undergone an additional water soluble extraction.8. A wrapping material as defined in claim 1, further comprising anaerosol delivery composition applied to the web, the aerosol deliverycomposition containing an aerosol delivery agent.
 9. A wrapping materialas defined in claim 8, wherein the aerosol delivery agent comprisesnicotine.
 10. A wrapping material as defined in claim 8, wherein theaerosol delivery agent comprises a cannabinoid.
 11. A wrapping materialas defined in claim 8, wherein the aerosol delivery agent comprisestetrahydrocannabinol.
 12. A wrapping material as defined in claim 8,wherein the aerosol delivery agent comprises cannabidiol.
 13. A wrappingmaterial as defined in claim 8, wherein the aerosol delivery compositioncontains a blend of terpenes.
 14. A wrapping material as defined inclaim 1, wherein the web building fibers comprise softwood fibers.
 15. Awrapping material as defined in claim 1, wherein the web building fiberscomprise hemp pulp fibers.
 16. A wrapping material as defined in claim1, wherein the web has been treated with a burn control agent, whereinthe burn control agent comprises a salt of a carboxylic acid.
 17. Awrapping material as defined in claim 1, wherein the web has beentreated with a gum.
 18. A wrapping material as defined in claim 1,wherein the wrapping material includes a plurality of discrete reducedignition areas spaced along a first direction of the wrapping material,the reduced ignition areas having a diffusivity of less than about 0.5cm/s at 23° C.
 19. A wrapping material as defined in claim 18, whereinthe plurality of reduced ignition areas have been formed by applying areduced ignition composition to the web.
 20. A smoking articlecomprising a smokable rod surrounded by the wrapping material of claim1.